BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. Azerbaijan is a unique model of multi-ethnicity and harmonious multiculturalism, an article about the international scientific conference "Embracing Diversity: Tackling Islamophobia in 2024" held in Baku, released in the French La Gazette du Caucase online newspaper, said, Trend reports.
"As a result, it was decided to begin an annual tradition of conducting international conferences in this country dedicated to the topic of Islamophobia, with the goal of monitoring and combating anti-Muslim rhetoric and activities," the article explained.
The article mentioned that the conference began with a plenary session in which speakers emphasized that the current year has seen a significant increase in anti-Muslim sentiments around the world, as evidenced by the media, social networks, and acts such as the burning of the Quran in Sweden and the publication of offensive cartoons of Prophet Muhammad in Denmark.
The piece also noted how European governments, particularly France, frequently characterized the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia as one between a Christian and a Muslim country.
According to the article, this misrepresentation is intentionally fueled by French right-wing groups, who use it to make people believe in the 'clash of civilizations', the 'global Islamist conspiracy', and the act of vandalism against the statue of Azerbaijani poetess Natavan in Evian serves as a vivid illustration of this Islamophobia.
The article also pointed out that during the visit to Azerbaijan's Shusha, declared the cultural capital of the Islamic world for this year, conference participants were able to see the damage caused by the Armenian occupation.
Besides, the publication stressed that the conference held in Baku laid the groundwork for the development and implementation of practical solutions to combat this global problem.
"We need to develop programs and projects to counter discriminatory messages in the media, to raise general public awareness, especially among youth, advocate our positions to policymakers, and expand and apply legal instruments to eradicate Islamophobia. This will undoubtedly be the task of future conferences," the publication said.
The article noted that the idea of this conference is to "go beyond just intellectual discourse and formulate concrete strategies for a more tolerant and inclusive future.".
Thus, the goal is not only to raise awareness but also to develop specific actions, the article added.
To note, the conference dedicated to the 2nd anniversary of the International Day Against Islamophobia was held on March 8–9 in Baku under the joint organization of the International Center for Multiculturalism, the Center for the Analysis of International Relations, the G20 Interfaith Forum, and the Baku Initiative Group.
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